The Inbound Lab

Founders face marketing challenges that hinder visibility and sales momentum. My Inbound and Content Marketing approach integrates audience-centric content alongside sales enablement material to enhance visibility, credibility, and sales traction. 

Through targeted dissemination, entrepreneurs can accelerate business growth.

My services include:
- Content Marketing Strategy
- Content Creation
- CRM implementation and management
- Organic Search
- Email Marketing

Inbound & Content Marketing Specialist

ZGM Modern Marketing Partners

I focus on the development of content strategies that drive and nurture targeted inbound traffic.

Lead Generation Strategist

Content Manager

Project Manager

V-Strategies Inc.

I had the pleasure of planning and executing on Visual Communication strategies for some really great clients. I managed web projects while also writing, producing and directing videos (live action and animated) for corporate and commercial broadcast usage.

Video Strategy/Producer/Director

Skyhook Productions

I love to see the growth of a high school athlete and that is why I produce videos for college recruitment opportunities. These include highlight reels, game tapes, and player profiles. 

All of my clients have successfully received a scholarship to colleges in Canada, US and Asia to name a few.

Producer / Videographer / Editor

Bell Media

Working with Bell Media was a great experience and my door into the world of broadcasting.  Along with creating show content, managing social media, and speaking on air, I also operated the on-air control board live for the morning show.

On-Air Morning Show Producer - KooL 101.5 FM

H-Trio Incorporated

Melanie Hayden-Sparks is doing some great things at H-Trio and I was extremely happy to be involved in the start up. I helped execute diverse marketing and communications projects including website management & content marketing, events and media relations.

Communications Coordinator

Experienced content marketing specialist focused on generating Inbound leads with lead generation and nurturing tactics.

When clients are looking for a marketer with niche industry experience:

Them: "Have you ever worked in the underwater basket-weaving space?"

Me: "Yes, I've specialized in that space for 10 years. Here are pictures of a dozen baskets my team and I have made in the past year."

Them: "Ah, okay. But, see, we weave our baskets with 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘴. Have you woven any baskets with pine needles?"

Me: "Yes, we've woven hundreds of pine-needle baskets of all sizes."

Them: "We only weave our baskets with Eastern white pine needles. Every basket is 12 inches in diameter, with interlocking zigzag patterns. Do you have any samples of baskets 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 those?"

Me: "We do have experience weaving with Eastern white pine needles, but our baskets are bigger and we've only done stripes, not zigzags."

Them: "Ah, okay. I guess you won't be able to figure out 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, then. We're special. Our company is the unicorn of underwater basket-weaving companies. You've never seen anyone like us."

Me: "Actually, we have a process for gathering exactly the right pine needles and customizing each design to achieve your desired outcome. We have dozens of happy basket customers you can speak with. I'm confident we can weave the right basket for you."

Them: "The last agency we chose only wanted to weave baskets with straw, and their baskets fell apart right away. I'm going to assume you're exactly the same as them, even though you just told me all the ways you're different."

Me: "Sounds like we're not a fit, but we wish you all the best. I'm sure you'll find the right basket-weaver elsewhere!"

Them: "We sure will. And then we'll require them to sign an NDA that precludes them from ever weaving pine-needle baskets again. And when they refuse, we'll come back to you."

Derek Hovinga (He/Him)

"Oh hey... so, I sent you the wrong document"

Today, I hit the 'send' button on an email and immediately felt a wave of embarrassment wash over me.

Why?

Well, I inadvertently shared a document with the wrong client's name on it.

Yep.

Look, as a "solopreneur," I need to be efficient, and yes, I do use templates for some of my documents. But even with the best intentions, sometimes the unexpected happens, and the wrong name slips through the cracks. Oops! 🙊 

It's a gentle reminder that behind every "polished professional facade," there's a human being with quirks, mishaps, and, yes, the occasional mix-up.

So what's the takeaway?

Embrace the hiccups, learn from them, and move forward. 

These moments keep things interesting... right?

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

Misconception 1: "We need to be everywhere"
It's tempting to spread yourself thin across every social media platform, but it's much more effective if you focus on where your target audience hangs out. 

Misconception 2: "If you build it, they will come"
Just because you have this great product doesn't mean people will automatically flock to it. Marketing helps drive visibility.

Misconception 3: "Set it and Forget it"
Marketing isn't just a one-and-done deal. It requires constant monitoring, tweaking, and optimizing.

#MarketingTips #ContentMarketing #TechMarketing #Misconceptions

𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬 > 𝐀𝐥𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐦𝐬

My friend Ho Son runs a clothing company out of #LA and he posted a TikTok about this very thing. (Link in the comments to check it out).

He's not wrong.

In marketing, where we're so focused on things like SEO strategies and algorithmic tweaks, it's easy to forget the beating heart of content creation: connecting with real people.

Algorithms change like the weather in Calgary during Spring Time #yyc.
But human emotions and experiences remain constant.

I guarantee that the last time you were moved by a piece of content, art, music or a conversation wasn't because it hit all the right keywords. It was because it spoke to you on a personal level.

So, from a marketing perspective, take the time to understand your audience and empathize with their needs, and you'll end up delivering content that truly resonates.

#contentcreation #contentmarketing #customercentric #peoplecentric #audienceengagement

I SKIPPED a couple days on LinkedIn (see what I did there)

Missing a few days of posting on LinkedIn or any other platform isn't the end of the world. 
You gotta acknowledge that life happens, and sometimes priorities shift. 

But, it's also an opportunity to reflect on the importance of consistency and recommit to your content strategy. 

Consistency builds momentum and trust with your audience, but occasional lapses can serve as a reminder to prioritize and maintain balance in your business activities. 

It's all about finding the right rhythm that works for you and your audience. But  recognizing that occasional breaks can provide opportunities for refreshment and renewed creativity.

——————————

Stay tuned for some more fun stuff on my profile as I’m coming up with some new creative ideas to talk about B2B marketing. 

Be sure to hit that 🔔 button so you don’t miss any of it.

It's April Fools... and here's my #HotTake

We've all seen our fair share of cringeworthy attempts at humour and eyebrow-raising pranks. As marketers, we may have "mastered" the art of storytelling, persuasion, and campaigns, but sometimes, we miss the mark when it comes to April Fools jokes. From overly elaborate to the downright groan-inducing, we've seen it all.

So this April 1st, instead of subjecting your audience to another eye-rolling attempt at humour, why not channel that creativity into something more impactful? 

Have fun, but let's save the pranks for the playground and focus on delivering real value to your audience.

Here's to keepin' it real!

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲...

It's about delivering a clear and resonate message EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

Content with a consistent message reinforces a few things:

🔷 Your brand identity
🔷 Shows you're trustworthy
🔷 Sets you apart as a reliable source of value

#Consistentmessaging #contentcreation #brandidentity #contentmarketing #b2bmarketing #TheRock

Hi everyone - Looking for freelance opportunities. Don't hesitate to get in touch! #OpenToWork

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞-𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐫𝐚𝐩 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐟.

It's been a while since I shared one of these, but I wanted to tell you how I helped stop Drake and J-Cole's rap beef with Kendrick Lamar.

If you don't know, these three started "beefing" with each other through their lyrics. What began as subtle stabs at each other turned into full-on diss tracks. 

𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡!

So, I started a group chat and set up a meeting at the nearest Earl's to discuss their differences. 

Believe it or not, all I had to do was bring up Brand Voice Consistency. #brandvoice

I convinced them that through a "united brand voice" we could create a deeper connection with all of their audiences.

Here's what we agreed on:

👀 Message Clarity
When everyone uses the same brand voice, the message becomes more familiar and unmistakable. This helps ensure the audience hears and interprets the message in the way it was intended, in turn, prevents any misunderstandings and, of course, maximizes impact.

🤝 Trust and Reliability
When each rapper keeps their messages consistent, they create an environment where they can feel more reliable. They want their audience to feel their words and trust that they'll produce more quality music.

💪🏽 Strengthen Brand Identity
If they combine their powerful voices, they create a more recognizable identity. For fans of their music, this means associating their stylistic choices or themes, which will help them feel more connected to their songs.

🏗️ Build a Bigger Community
When they unify their voices, they can unite people, creating a community around their shared values. 

So, that's it. They're friends again. And whether they're crafting lines for their next verse on their latest #Collaboration or developing a marketing campaign for a new brand they might want to put together, the consistency of their voices can be the harmony (lol) that turns noise into a hip hop symphony. 

PS: Thanks to Canva for taking our photo.

#FakeCelebStories #brandvoice #PopCulture #MarketingSavesTheRapGame

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐲 𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐥, 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐠𝐨?

It's pretty frustrating... so let's stick with the metaphor.

Traditional advertising can often feel like this where you're constantly exerting effort to push your message out there using short-term tactics and a "one-way" conversation, and your message can tend to get lost or ignored as you try to get past all that noise.

𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐋𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐅𝐥𝐢𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭 📖

Imagine that instead of pushing a sled uphill, you're assisting its descent by pulling it. When you pull it downhill, you exert less effort and still allow it to go in the direction you want it to.

That's what B2B content is all about. It's about assisting your buyers to decide a business problem they're trying to solve. You're not just shouting your message into the void. You're inviting your audience to come closer and engage with your brand on a deeper level. You're building trust. You show your audience you genuinely care about helping them solve their problems.

So what do you prefer? 
🔷 A brand that pushes their message in your face? Or... 
🔷 A brand that pulls you in with valuable content and your best interest at heart?

#contentmarketing #pullaudience #audienceengagement #b2bmarketing #inboundmarketing

The Recipe for Marketing Success…


🥗🥙🌯🍖🍗🍱🍪


Planning. 

#contentstrategy #marketingplan #contentplanning #foodie #guyfieri

app.ingo.me

Inventures 2024

Speaker Highlight: John Hayes from Shift Connect Ltd. will be joining us on stage to share valuable insight and lessons learned on growing a global organization right here in Calgary. 

Don't miss this chance to see him, along with Mike Toffan from Project Forest and, headliner, Sarah Schwann from Pembina Pipeline Corporation, in this intimate event. 

#yyc #yycevents #events #event #esg #esgevent #networking #networkingevent #pipelines #pipeline #oilandgas #sustainability #unicorn #investment #startups #startupgrind #startup #founders #saas

https://lnkd.in/g_QJKNZd

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